The Independent Schools Council is a politically independent, not-for-profit organisation representing 1,270 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children. It exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education, developing talent at all levels of ability and from all backgrounds.
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Private schools and charitable status
Written by Matthew BurgessSince time immemorial ‘advancing education’ has been a charitable purpose and independent schools do exactly that. In recent times, some have assumed that to be charitable, relief of poverty needs to be a purpose of the charity in question. However this is not the case.
Charities need to demonstrate that they provide benefit to the public. In the case of independent schools this is to advance education, and to make sure that all potential pupils are considered. The fact that fees are charged is nothing more than an essential necessity, since the money has to come from somewhere. Without charging fees, independent schools would simply be unable to exist, regardless of their charitable status. Many independent schools offer bursaries and the money saved through charitable status is able to help them offer more bursaries to families unable to afford fees. Without charitable status fewer children from less affluent backgrounds would be able to benefit from the first-class education that independent schools provide. ISC schools are already donating more than £350m each year in fee assistance to 125,000 pupils.
To help as many people within their local community as possible, many independent schools go even further, through initiatives such as opening up their facilities and sports grounds to locals, fund-raising and supporting local charities. They also sponsor and work with other schools in their vicinity and some even sponsor schools overseas to advance education in other countries as well. ISC’s schools are always looking for creative ways to support and sustain the communities, to which they belong, working to provide as much benefit as possible at as little cost. At ISC we have been helping them to do this, through initiatives such as our Public Benefit Symposium, which facilitated the sharing of ideas between schools on how they can further help their communities. To see an example of one ISC school’s benefit to their local community in Shoredith, take a look at this presentation from James Allen’s Girls’ School.
Related posts:
- Why Schools are Charities
- Keeping up the good work
- In-fee-lation?
- Independent Schools – A Well Rounded Education
- Let’s celebrate our sector’s role in the national education system
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